Sometime between when the Broncos set their 45-man active roster 90 minutes before their game Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals, and kickoff, linebacker/fullback/special teams standout Spencer Larsen walked into the trainer’s room, cleats on, to get his hands and fingers taped.

By the time he left, Larsen had suffered a serious shoulder injury. The change in floor surface between the locker room and trainer’s room was enough to send Larsen flying backwards. He landed in a way where his shoulder popped out.

Larsen was to undergo further tests today but Broncos coach Josh McDaniels said the second-year player from Arizona would be out at least a few weeks.

“”It was a freak situation where it was an accident in the locker room in terms of falling and putting his arm down wrong,” McDaniels said. “”I don’t want to go into details. Slick surface, slipped, hit the ground. That’s it.”

Graham and Bailey are the only returning captains. Woodyard, a second-year player, is likely the special teams’ captain, although McDaniels would not designate by position.

Notably absent was starting inside linebacker D.J. Williams, who was the Broncos’ defensive captain the previous two years. Oh, and what was not considered the biggest upset since Joe Namath and the Jets won Super Bowl III, Brandon Marshall wasn’t named a captain, either.

Wednesday should be a day Haggan will always remember: He received a two-year, $3.5 million extension, plus was named co-captain, plus worked with the first-team defensive unit. Not bad for a guy who never started a game in his first six seasons.

I can’t help but think there’s going to be quite a letdown tonight at Invesco Field after Sunday’s mega-hyped game against Jay Cutler and the Bears. I’m thinking Matt Leinart and the Cardinals’ backups aren’t going to inspire the same sort of crowd frenzy.

But the 4th preseason game is an interesting one to watch, especially for football nerds (like me, and possibly you, too) because the Broncos (and all other teams) will slash their roster from 75 (or 76 if you count Brandon Marshall) to 53 by 2 p.m. Saturday. Who will make it? Who won’t? Who is headed to the practice squad? Who will be the surprise cut? Which under-the-radar guy will make? Which undrafted rookie will make it?

Let the fun begin.

Here’s a short list of guys to watch tonight. If they play, and play well, their chances go up of making the 53. If you don’t see them on the field, you may as well just tear out their page in the media guide now:

Running backs LaMont Jordan and Darius Walker: Jordan has been lackluster through the latter portion of the preseason, and missed the Chicago game with a minor injury. Walker is the team’s leading rusher in the preseason (all second-half yards). Both are well-liked, good locker room guys. But both won’t make the team.

Wide receivers Chad Jackson, Brandon Lloyd, Nate Swift and Matthew Willis: A couple of these are bubble guys (Jackson and Lloyd) and a couple are long shots (Swift and Willis). But receiver is such a question mark right now with all of the Brandon Marshall drama and Jabar Gaffney’s broken thumb, so there is room for someone else to impress.

Offensive linemen Matt McChesney an Kory Lichtensteiger: Both are firmly on the bubble, especially with the addition of Russ Hochstein last week. Hochstein plays both guard and center and is, obviously, a favorite of Josh McDaniels. Lichetensteiger, a center, was a 2008 draft pick by Mike Shanahan but it appears he might be expendable now.

Safeties Josh Barrett and Vernon Fox: Barrett, a second-year player, and Fox, a veteran, are both valuable special teams players. They are also the 5th and 6th safeties on defense. Do their special teams capabilities transcend lack of defensive playing time? Barrett injured his shoulder against Chicago, so we might not see him tonight.

Outside linebackers Jarvis Moss and Tim Crowder: Neither has been able to crack the two-deep base defense, and that’s bad news for players who just two years ago were the team’s No. 1 and 2 overall draft picks. Crowder plays more on special teams than Moss does.

Defensive ends Matthias Askew, Nic Clemons and Everette Pedescleaus: The 3-4 defense means the team will keep fewer true defensive ends, so all three of these guys could end up cut by Saturday. But Marcus Thomas and Le Kevin Smith have been banged up recently, so perhaps one of them makes it for depth purposes.

Cornerbacks Jack Williams and Joshua Bell: How many diminutive corners will the team keep? Certainly Alphonso Smith is safe, which means Williams and Bell are in danger. Williams started camp in fantastic fashion but has been ailing in recent weeks and fallen completely off the radar.

At least one undrafted rookie has made the Broncos in each of the last five years. My pick for 2009 is DT Chris Baker (though I’m not really going out on a limb for that pick). Also watch LB Lee Robinson, who could sneak his way on via special teams.

After spending much of the preseason saying there was plenty of time, the Broncos now have a little more than two weeks for their backfield to get a little healthier.

The team has averaged 3.5 yards a carry in its two preseason games.

With Knowshon Moreno and LaMont Jordan having missed significant parts of the preseason, what was a position of strength when training camp opened now has some concern associated with it.

With the regular-season opener now 17 days away and Moreno not yet expected to be full speed — either in his recovery from a sprained knee or his football conditioning — by the time the Broncos go to Cincinnati, it means the Broncos’ plans of running back by committee could have just two members.

Correll Buckhalter has taken most of the practice reps with the starters of late, but Buckhalter has had major surgeries on both knees in his career and has carried the ball more than 20 times in a game just twice in his career, neither of those since 2003.

Peyton Hillis is the other option at the moment, but Hillis has a full plate of special teams duties to keep him busy as well as well as being the team’s primary fullback.

Early on Darius Walker, who started two games for the Texans in 2007, could be in the mix as well if the Broncos are concerned enough about depth to keep him on the 53-man roster.

But all in all Moreno’s injury is still giving the Broncos run game a limp.

Sometimes draft picks are taken and, at least for first- or second-rounders anyway, the assumption is they’ll simply arrive and conquer. That they will launch themselves up the depth chart and that will be that.

And a lot of the time that is indeed the case.

But then there are times when the veteran, even if the veteran is in just his second season, shows he isn’t just going to step aside and watch the parade go by.

Such is the case of Jack Williams. The second-year cornerback, who had two interceptions in Tuesday’s practice, was a fourth-round pick in Mike Shanahan’s last draft class.

But after a preseason in ’08 that included an 89-yard interception return for a touchdown in Arizona, he played sparingly last season, mostly on special teams, and was even an inactive for the team’s last two games.

But it is Williams, enjoying the clean slate of a new coaching staff, who is playing as the fifth defensive back much of the time when the team goes to its nickel package in training camp’s early going and not rookie Alphonso Smith.

Smith, a second-round pick, has flashed the skills that made him the ACC’s all-time leader in interceptions, but he’s going to have to battle to find his way into some playing time. That doesn’t mean he’s behind in his first go-around.

In light of defensive end Jarvis Moss’ recent personal troubles and Marcus Thomas’ initial failure of the conditioning test, I thought it might be interesting to take a quick peek back at the 2007 draft. Check out today’s paper for a full story on Moss and Crowder.

The drafts preceding and following the 2007 draft have gotten plenty of publicity lately — what with the Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall drama from the 2006 bunch, and the many accolades for the 2008 crew, which includes Ryan Clady, Eddie Royal, Peyton Hillis and Spencer Larsen.

Oddly enough, the player with the most disappointing rookie year is the player who has emerged as the best of the bunch: Harris, who started every game at right tackle last season.

A look at how the careers of each 2007 pick has progressed:

Jarvis Moss: Played in 18 games with 1 start in two seasons. Missed eight games after breaking his fibula in early November 2007. He was inactive for one other game his rookie year. He played in 13 games in 2008 as part of the rotation on the defensive line (no starts) and had 2.5 sacks. Is in the process of becoming an outside linebacker for the new 3-4 defense, a position that might actually suit him better, should he 1) commit to playing football and 2) earn a spot on the 53-man roster. Had Moss been coming out of college in 2009, he likely would have been considered an OLB prospect from the outset.

Tim Crowder: Played in 13 games and made 1 start in a rookie season highlighted by his 50-yard fumble recovery for a TD against Pittsburgh. He fell off the radar in 2008, playing in only six games and making four total tackles. Like Moss, he will play primarily as an outside linebacker in the 3-4. Though he got significant reps with the first-team during a minicamp in June, he has played with the second-team thus far in training camp.

Ryan Harris: Had back surgery in the offseason before his rookie year and missed most of the preseason. He played in 11 games, almost exclusively on special teams. He won the starting right tackle job early in training camp in 2008 and excelled there throughout the season. He started every game and, even more impressively, played every single offensive snap.

Marcus Thomas: He has played in all but one game in two seasons and made 21 starts at defensive tackle. He also has two career interceptions (though who can forget how he lost a fumble when he tried to return a pick last year?). Like Moss and Crowder, the switch to the 3-4 means a new role for Thomas, who is trying to be a nose tackle for the first time in his career. The team officially lists Thomas at 316 pounds, 11 pounds heavier than in 2008. He wouldn’t disclose to a reporter how much he weighed when he reported to camp, so he could be heavier. Thomas initially failed the conditioning test but was cleared to practice on Saturday.

Why do draft-eligible college players invest so much time, and money, in preparing for the NFL scouting combine? Check out the difference in the rookie contracts signed recently by Broncos defensive backs Alphonso Smith and Darcel McBath.

Both were selected in the second round. Smith was nabbed with the No. 37 overall pick, 11 spots ahead of McBath. The difference in those 11 draft slots: $900,000.

Smith received a $2.9 million guarantee in signing bonus and injury protection. Add in his first-year minimum salary of $310,000, which is all but officially guaranteed, and Smith knows he can start the first day of his work life with $3.21 million.

McBath received $2 million in signing bonus and injury protection. Throw in his first-year salary and he begins the rest of his life with $2.31 million.

Here’s hoping both players put some money away for when they’re, you know, 40 years old.

The financial discrepency continues to be significant in the later rounds. David Bruton, a special teams standout selected in the middle of the fourth round, got roughly $480,000 in signing bonus while Tom Brandstater, a quarterback taken with the first pick in the sixth round, got a bonus of nearly $124,000.

Brandstater can make as much as $2.85 million in his fourth season of 2012 if he develops into the next Tom Brady by the end of his third season. I’m guessing this is what they mean by “difficult-to-reach” incentives.

DOVE VALLEY — Though most of the buzz through the media ranks on Friday morning was about the player who WASN’T at the Broncos’ Dove Valley headquarters, there was plenty of action going on with the players who were there.

– The special teams units practiced onside kicks and pooch punts, and “gunners” on punt coverage, like Alphonso Smith and David Bruton, practiced downing the ball just short of the goal line. Kicker Matt Prater also hit two long field goals in a drill simulating the final seconds of a game.

– 2008 draft picks, corner Jack Williams and safety Josh Barrett, continue to practice with the first-team nickel defense. That package also included Dumervil at linebacker with Ayers, and Reid as a down lineman with Peterson. On one snap, Williams got to Kyle Orton on a corner blitz and swatted the ball out of the quarterback’s hand. 2007 draft picks Jarvis Moss and Crowder each played with the second-team nickel, and Crowder — lined up as a down lineman in that package — snagged an interception off Chris Simms.

– The team lined up briefly in a traditional I-formation, with LaMont Jordan at tailback and Peyton Hillis at fullback. Good to know they can do that, though I would be it will be a rare sight come September.

– I heard “Sweet Child of Mine” by Guns and Roses coming from the practice field when I got out of my car an hour before practice started. Little did I know then it was a sign of things to come. In a welcome change (for me at least) from the previous regime, a full McDaniels practice includes plenty of music to simulate crowd noise. Friday’s playlist included “Eye of the Tiger”, “Crazy Train”, “Beat It”, “Born to Run”, “Live Your Life” and even the old “Monday Night Football” theme music.

– Right guard Chris Kuper was excused from practice to get married, and rookie Seth Olsen took all the first-team repetitions in his place. Kuper is one of the toughest players on the team (remember last year, when he played all training camp with a broken hand?), so it only made sense that his absence had something to do with his personal life. Kuper, like Brandon Marshall and Jay Cutler, was part of the Broncos’ 2006 draft class, and a television reporter joking asked McDaniels after practice if Kuper, too, was holding out. “He might be nervous, but he’s not holding out,” McDaniels said, laughing.

The team will hold its final two practices of the offseason Saturday and Sunday.

DENVER — The Broncos currently have seven linebackers on its roster heading into the first minicamp next week. That’s not a lot, so look for the team to add to its depth at the position through the 2009 draft.

But like we did yesterday with defensive linemen, let’s look at who actually is already here, and see how these guys might contribute in Mike Nolan’s new 3-4 defense:

D.J. Williams: A team captain in 2008, Williams has played every linebacker in a 3-4, and the new defense means yet another position change. But Williams is athletic and versatile enough that he should be able to handle it. The question now is if Williams, 6-1, 240, is better suited to play inside or outside linebacker, because he should be able to line up at either spot.

Boss Bailey: Bailey has somewhat been the forgotten man in the defensive reshuffling after the 2008 season because of the season-ending knee injury he suffered in late October. But Bailey could be a key component to a 3-4 defense. A natural outside linebacker, Bailey was the lynch pin to the success the Broncos had in when it experimented with that scheme last fall because of his ability to both line up in the box and drop back in pass coverage.

Wesley Woodyard: The undrafted rookie in 2008 quickly became a fan favorite for the job he did filling in when Williams was injured in November. He’s athletic, fast and a quick learner, but it is unclear how he will fit into the 3-4. Expect Woodyard to be one of the top special teams players, as well.

Spencer Larsen: He’s still listed as a fullback/linebacker on the Broncos roster, but Larsen wants his long-term career to be on defense. He is a natural middle linebacker who must play inside in the 3-4. Like Woodyard, Larsen should be a top player on special teams once again in 2009.

Louis Green: On the Broncos’ roster since 2003, Green is one of the longest tenured Broncos, mostly because of his special teams play. No reason to believe at this point that his role will change much in 2009.

Mario Haggan: At 6-3, 262, Haggan is one of the tam’s biggest and most versatile linebackers. The new coaching staff is looking for guys who can play a variety of roles, and Haggan could be one of them.

Andra Davis: The newcomer of the bunch — he signed as a free agent from Cleveland — Davis has the most experience in the 3-4 defense, which will be crucial to helping his new teammates pick up the intricacies of the system. He’s also a proven leader and has a strong locker room presence. Expect him to start at one of the two inside linebacker positions.

DENVER — Josh McDaniels’ first staff is nearly complete, with the official hirings of eight assistant coaches in the past week.

Here’s the list, as it stands now:

Offensive coordinator / quarterbacks – Mike McCoy

Running backs – Bobby Turner

Offensive line – Rick Dennison

Wide receivers – Adam Gase

Defensive coordinator – Mike Nolan

Linebackers – Don Martindale

Secondary – Ed Donatell

Defensive line – Wayne Nunnely

Special teams – Mike Priefer

Assistants – Ben McDaniels and Jay Rodgers

(Note – the hirings of Nolan, Turner and Dennison have not been formally announced by the team.)

So who are the big winners in this group?

1. Martindale. He leaves the Raiders (never a bad thing, right?) and inherits possibly the deepest group of players on the Broncos’ defense, though the group will likely need some reshuffling as the team transitions to a 3-4 scheme. But any group that has a veteran leader (D.J. Williams) and young talent (Wesley Woodyard, Spencer Larsen) is a good start.

2. Donatell: His last job was as the defensive coordinator at the University of Washington. You might remember that the Huskies did not win a single game in 2008. And now he gets to coach Champ Bailey? Score! Donatell led the Broncos’ secondary on Mike Shanahan’s first staff and was the first of Shanahan’s assistants to be hired away after the team won its back-to-back Super Bowls.

3. Gase: He goes from a general offensive assistant job in San Francisco to leading a group of players that includes Brandon Marshall, Eddie Royal and Brandon Stokley. Sounds like a nice promotion to me.

4. McDaniels: The younger brother of the head coach, McDaniels is joining his first NFL staff. Last year he coached quarterbacks at a very prominent high school team (Massillon) in Ohio.

The Broncos’ biggest gets:

1. Nunnely: The Broncos now have a defensive line coach well versed in the 3-4 scheme. After spending 12 years in San Diego, Nunnely knows what it takes to have a successful defensive line and what type of players he needs to fortify a team’s run defense.

2. Turner: For the past 15 years, the Broncos have been famous for their running game, and Turner is possibly the main reason why. He was on Shanahan’s staff since 1995. He knows running back talent and his players love him. Keeping him here in Denver was a very smart move for McDaniels.

And how about the rest of Shanahan’s assistants, who were not retained by the new staff?

As The Post as previously reported, several have already landed other jobs: Jeremy Bates is an assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach at the University of Southern California; Scott O’Brien will coach special teams in New England; Bill Johnson will coach the defensive line in New Orleans. And today, receivers coach Jedd Fisch was formally hired as the offensive coordinator at the University of Minnesota, under head coach Tim Brewster (another former Shanahan assistant).

Bates surely is a winner in this situation. Joining Pete Carroll’s staff is by no means a demotion (staying in Denver? That would have been a demotion, even if not in title), and surely it won’t be long before Bates becomes a head coach somewhere.

So, Broncos Fans, what do you think of McDaniels’ new staff? Who was the new coach’s best hire? Any one you aren’t sure about? We would love to hear your opinions!

DENVER — In honor of Denver linebacker Wesley Woodyard — who by normal people standards would certainly qualify a big guy, but is considered small by NFL linebacker standards — we here at the All Things Broncos blog have put together a list of five of the best “too-small” small players in the NFL.

Then check below for the Broncos’ current best small guys. Check Friday’s print edition for a chart of five of the best undersized linebackers in NFL history, all of whom are smaller than Woodyard (6-1, 230 pounds).

1. Indianapolis safety Bob Sanders: 5-foot-8, 206 pounds.

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What he’s done: Only led the Colts to a Super Bowl title two years ago and earned the title of Defensive Player of the Year in 2007.

2. New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees: 6-foot-0, 209 pounds.

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What he’s done: Brees — who is three inches shorter and about 25 pounds lighter than Jay Cutler — is only threatening to break Dan Marino’s NFL record for passing yards in a season. He’s already thrown for more than 4,000 yards. He is leading Pro Bowl voting for NFC quarterbacks.

3. San Diego running back Darren Sproles: 5-foot-6, 181 pounds.

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What he’s done: Sproles, LaDanian Tomlinson’s pint-sized backup, burned the Denver defense and special teams coverage units for 317 total yards back in September. Not bad for a guy barely an inch taller than I am.

4. New England wide receiver Wes Welker: 5-foot-9, 185 pounds.

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What he’s done: He’s already broken the 1,000-yard mark for receiving yards for the second straight year.

5. Carolina wide receiver Steve Smith: 5-foot-9, 185 pounds

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What he’s done: He’s already reached 1,000 receiving yards this season, despite missing the first two games of the year because of a team-imposed suspension (he punched a teammate in the face. Good times). Next up: Denver’s secondary!

Denver’s smallest players are all rookies. Corner Jack Williams (5-9, 185) is the smallest guy on the 53-man roster, with receiver Eddie Royal (generously listed at 5-10, 182) not far behind. Tailback Anthony Alridge is also listed at 5-9, 185, but he’s on IR (of course he is, he’s a Denver running back). But the honor of “smallest guy in the locker room” goes to Jayson Foster, a wide receiver who was signed to the practice squad on Nov. 26.

INVESCO FIELD — Greetings from Invesco Field at Mile High, though the weather outside makes it feel like we’re in South Florida and not the first Sunday in November in Colorado.

A couple of pregame notes:

– Rookie fullback Peyton Hillis has gotten his job back after being supplanted by Spencer Larsen for about a month.

– The Broncos have three players making their NFL debuts today: rookie RB Ryan Torain (No. 42), rookie CB Josh Bell (No. 34) and quarterback Darrell Hackney (No. 4). Torain is certain to play, especially with Selvin Young inactive. Bell is the team’s fourth cornerback and should play at least on special teams. Hackney is the least likely to play, and Bronco fans better hope he spends the whole afternoon holding a clip board.

– Keep an eye on Denver’s defense early. Despite all of its short comings, the defense has yet to allow a touchdown in the first quarter of a game this season.

On a personal note, this is a fun game for me since I recently moved back to Colorado after five years working for The Palm Beach Post. It’s been great to see some former colleagues and competitors. This is an interesting match-up for me, too, because the first NFL game I ever covered was between the Dolphins and Broncos in the 2005 season opener at Dolphin Stadium. I was 24 and was assigned to write a sidebar about the visiting Broncos, who had lost the game 34-10. The most memorable experience from that game was in the Broncos locker room afterward, when a grumpy Jake Plummer was quite snippy to a group of reporters, and me in particular when I asked about a failed possession (Denver had a first-down inside the 5 yard line and went with four straight Tatum Bell rushes but no touchdown).

INVESCO FIELD — The Broncos’ top two draft picks from 2007 are both inactive for today’s game against the Buccaneers.

That Jarvis Moss and Tim Crowder, both defensive ends, are both healthy scratches for the team today could mean the Broncos are planning on using more of their 3-4 defense, especially if they are successful at stopping Bucs running back Earnest Graham early.

Wide receiver Darrell Jackson is inactive for the fourth consecutive game with a calf injury. He started practicing this week but was not nearly up to game speed. Newly signed WR Glenn Martinez is active as the team’s fourth receiver behind Brandon Marshall, Eddie Royal and Brandon Stokley.

Rookie fullback Peyton Hillis is a surprise inactive. He was excused from practice Friday because of a death in his family but he was supposed to return to Denver for this game. In his place, rookie Spencer Larsen, the special teams phenom, will be the first-string tailback, though Michael Pittman could see more action as well.

Linebacker Louis Green is active for the first time this season. He had a string of bad luck in the preseason, with neck, finger and hamstring injuries, and is now healthy enough to play. Green is one of the Broncos’ better special teams players.

4:20 p.m.: Remember the best defensive series in the first half? This first defensive series of the second half is the opposite of that. San Diego has little trouble driving the field, and Chris Chambers out-muscles Karl Paymah for pass in the end zone. 31-24 Denver.

DOVE VALLEY — Some sort of cyber-mystery has kept us offline here for much of the last week … but we’re back online here with the Broncos blog from team headquarters. We’re keeping our fingers crossed that Word Press doesn’t lock me out again.

The team released its first depth chart of the season today, something it had to do because of Saturday’s first preseason game against Houston. Keep in mind that this is a fluid chart, and with four preseason games yet to be played, just about everything is subject to change (OK, not the quarterback spot. That one’s secure. And that Champ Bailey has the left cornerback spot locked down, but I digress).

Here’s where things stand now, with the starter in bold, followed by the second- and third-stringers and so on. Names in italics are the ones I marked as surprises when the depth chart was first passed out this morning. I’ll discuss why after the chart.

Offensive notes: Scheffler got a star because it was the first time he was ahead of Nate Jackson in camp. Jackson had been lining up with the first-team for much of the first week. Pittman was notable because he wasn’t included at all at running back and not even in the top two at fullback. This certainly wasn’t what he was imagining when he signed here on May 28.

Defensive notes: Thomas and Webster were the surprises here. Neither was the clear No. 1 yet in camp. Koutouvides was signed with the intention that he would be the starter at middle linebacker, but this competition here with Webster will be one of the more interesting battles of camp. It seemed like Kenny Peterson would be a starter at DT, but coaches think Thomas has improved enough to earn a starting spot right now.

Specialist notes: Not surprising that Paulescu is listed as the No. 1 punter, since he is the veteran, what with one NFL game under his belt. Interesting, though, that his competition, Kern, is listed as the holder for place kicker Matt Prater.

While the Broncos are holding double sessions on most days of training camp, here’s a friendly piece of advice: Skip the afternoon session.

The morning practices, which generally start at 8:30 a.m. (gates open at 7:30) have far more action. The players are in pads (shoulder pads only for now, though) and run plenty of full squad drills. There isn’t full contact yet, but you’ll see plenty of passing and catching and rushing and pushing and trash talking. Plus the weather is much better in the morning, obviously.

The afternoon practice (starting around 3:40 p.m.) is either a full-squad “jog-through” (though a number of veterans only workout once a day) or a special teams practice that only includes about half of the team. You’ll still get to see guys close up, but we just don’t want you fans to be disappointed by the lack of action after lunch.

Welcome back to Training Camp: Day 2, where practice started at its normal time of 8:30 a.m. That made for much more pleasant temperatures, and more rest for players between sessions. The team will be back on the field at 3:40 p.m. for a special teams session. Most years, that’s a yawner, but with a battle for the punter job, a new kicker and new returnman, it could be interesting.

A couple of notes from the morning sessions:

– The starters on the d-line during the first set of team drills had Ebenezer Ekuban and Dwayne Robertson at tackle, with Elvis Dumervil and Jarvis Moss at tackle. Moss was with the second-team later in the workout. The starting offensive line was LT Ryan Clady, LG Ben Hamilton, C Tom Nalen, RG Chris Kuper and RT Ryan Harris.

– Speaking of kickers, Matt Prater made 7-of-8 attempts this morning, all from at least 40 yards.

– Right guard Montrae Holland was out of practice again, and spent the second half of the workout pushing a sled. There was speculation on the radio on Friday evening that he had made weight between sessions, but his exclusion from the Saturday practice proved that to be false. Holland spent time in the second practice on Friday on the scout team defense — never a good sign.

– Talked to rookie WR Eddie Royal about the injury to rookie DT Carlton Powell. (Royal and Powell were college teammates at Virginia Tech, and are roommates here in Denver.) Powell is out for the season after injurying his right Achilles tendon during conditioning drills earlier this month. “Wew were just going through a little warmup,” Royal said. “When he first did it, I didn’t think it was serious, just a sprained ankle or something. When I found out how bad it was, that hit me hard, being so close to him.” Royal said Powell was really upset when the injury first happened, but is more upbeat after having surgery. “He’s already talking about coming back,” Royal said.

Rod Smith and Keith Burns arrived here in Denver at the same time, showing up for rookie orientation in 1994, both just hoping to somehow find their way onto the team that fall. Neither arrived with much fanfare – Burns, a linebacker, was drafted in the seventh round, and Smith wasn’t drafted at all and had signed with the team has a free agent.

“He was skinny, narrow,” Burns recalled about his first impression of Smith. “I called him Raj, from What’s Happening, because he had his glasses on.”

It didn’t take long for the pair to bond, over similar birthdays (Rod on May 15, Keith of May 16) and the common goal of just wanting to play.

“He knew he was willing to do anything and everything he had to do to make the team,” Burns said. “It was a pact we made during our rookie orientation, that we were here for work. It was good to meet new guys, new friends, but when we leave here you never know what’s going to happen.”

What happened for Smith and Burns was a friendship that has now lasted 14 years. On Thursday, Smith sought out Burns during his retirement speech in a Dove Valley conference room. It was just a couple of minutes into Smith’s 20-minute speech, and seeing Burns sitting off to one side, leaning against a wall, was enough to make Smith break down for the first time.

“It was hard, it was hard to make it. But with a guy like Keith by my side …” then Smith trailed off, reaching into his pocket for a handkerchief.

Burns played in 166 games for the Broncos and retired from playing in 2006. He’s starting his second season as an assistant special teams coach. He’s confident Smith would succeed as a coach, too, if Smith ever wants to try it.

“Without a doubt he can coach, I mean, he did when he was playing,” Burns said. “Coaching is something he can do without a problem, but that is all about timing too. It’s something you’ve got to really want to do, because you’ve got to be all the way in or all the way out.”

Here’s more of what others are saying about Smith and his retirement:

JOHN ELWAY: “He was not only a great player, but a great teammate. He was a guy that was great for the city, great for the organization and a gut that worked his tail off. I mean, the guy came in as a free agent. It shows you what he’s all about. He was not only a great football player, but a class act.”

ELWAY on Smith’s decision to retire: “I’m happy for Rod. We all want to play forever, but that day always comes when you can’t.”

JAKE PLUMMER on one of his favorite Smith memories: “Probably one of the most impressive things I’ve ever seen him do was, in my first year there, I had just gotten hurt and we didn’t have a back up for a couple of days. So they had him take 7-on-7. I think he was 6-for-6. And it wasn’t like he was dumping to the back or hitting the checkdown. He was throwing a skinny route, dead on. He’d throw a go-route, he threw an out-route. I was thinking, ‘Good God, he’d be good enough to take my job if he spent a year working on it.’ It was sick.”

PLUMMER on Smith: “Why I felt so good around him is physically he didn’t look like anything. He’d walk kind of sideways. He sometimes had this high-type voice. I mean he didn’t look like a professional receiver when you put him next to Terrell Owens. But the things he didn’t do well he worked on. It’s hard to pick between them but Rod and Larry Centers had the two best sets of hands I’ve ever seen.’’

Former GM Todd Sundquist, who was part of the scouting department that signed Smith: “He was a technician as a route runner. He had a tremendous ability to control his body in and out of a break. And I thought he had a tremendous feel for the openings in the defense. In the Jake years he appeared to maximize his ability to adjust his routes on the move and find the seams in the defense. And the good thing about that was Jake was on the move himself.’’

Team owner PAT BOWLEN: “You are the greatest player next to John [Elway] to play for me. And if ever get anybody like you are like John again, I am very fortunate.”

BOWLEN on Smith’s future: “I hope there is a way we can keep you involved in this organization. That is something that I am a very strong proponent of. I want you to stick around Denver, and hopefully, Mike and myself will be able to find something for you to do because you are going to be very productive. That would be a big deal for us.”

Coach MIKE SHANAHAN: “Rod is the only person I’ve been around on a consistent basis, day in, day out, that never cared about his stats. All Rod Smith talked about was winning. When you have a guy that talks about winning consistently, regardless of any number of catchers or any honors, anyone who is able to influence the locker room like he has, then you have a chance to do something special.”

SHANAHAN: “I love you. You have meant so much to us, to me, and I’ll tell you what, I’ll always have your back.”

We are now just a week away from the day players are set to report to Dove Valley for training camp. The first practices start a day later, on July 25.

Today the team released its full training camp schedule. Practices are open to the public through Aug. 12 (unless otherwise noted below), and are free. As always, practice times are subject to change. We’ll try to keep you guys updated on any changes the team makes to this schedule. Morning practices are listed first, followed by the afternoon times:

Nicki Jhabvala is a Broncos beat writer for The Denver Post. She was previously the digital news editor for sports. Before arriving in Denver, she spent five years at Sports Illustrated working primarily as its online NBA editor. She also spent two years as a home page editor at the New York Times.